Pac-12 rivals are squaring off Saturday in a game that figures to play a major role in shaping the conference standings come the end of the season.
Stanford will host No. 10 USC in a meeting of conference blue bloods.
The series has had its fair share of memorable moments, from the 21-21 tie in 1979 that effectively cost USC the national championship to the 31-28 Trojans win in the 2017 conference championship that robbed the Cardinal of their fourth Pac-12 title in six years.
This year’s iteration will feature a pair of skilled signal-callers at different points in their collegiate journeys.
USC’s Caleb Williams put up sensational numbers in his first game in Los Angeles. The Oklahoma transfer completed 19 of 22 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns as the Trojans routed Rice 66-14. He looked every bit the Heisman candidate that he was touted to be. The question for Williams this week is simple: Can he do it in a rowdy atmosphere on the road?
Stanford is the underdog, and for good reason. David Shaw’s side hasn’t quite hit the heights of the Andrew Luck and Christian McCaffrey days recently. The Cardinal won just three games in 2021. One of those games was against the then-No. 14 Trojans in LA, though, and Tanner McKee made his mark in it, slicing and dicing USC’s defense to the tune of 234 yards passing and three combined touchdowns.
McKee will reprise his role under center on Saturday. And he’ll be hoping to repeat his feat, this time in front of the home crowd.
MORE: Watch USC vs. Stanford live with fuboTV (free trial)
The Sporting News is tracking live updates from USC’s clash with Stanford. Follow along below for live results and highlights of the game at Stanford Stadium.
USC vs. Stanford score
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USC | 21 | 14 | X | X | X |
| Stanford | 7 | 7 | X | X | X |
USC vs. Stanford live updates, highlights
(All times Eastern)
Halftime: 35-14
| USC | Stanford | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 17 | 21 |
| Third downs | 1-1 | 4-8 |
| Fourth downs | 0-0 | 1-2 |
| Total yards | 366 | 319 |
| Passing | 13-15, 244 yards | 12-21, 148 yards |
| Rushing att-yards | 18-122 | 26-171 |
| Penalties-yards | 4-35 | 3-27 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 12:57 | 17:03 |
End of second quarter: 35-14
9:24 p.m.: After a sack and a penalty, USC takes into halftime with a 21-point edge. Very impressive display by the Trojans’ offense early. And their defense has three turnovers, two of which came on the goal line.
USC is sitting pretty through 30 minutes.
9:20 p.m.: Williams and Addison are looking in sync today. The Trojans hurler slips a pass into Addison’s gloves for 15 yards, getting the ball to USC’s 27. Stanford desperately needs a stop here.
9:17 p.m.: For the first time today, Stanford punts the ball away. That’s the first punt of the game for either side.
1:08 left for Williams and the Trojans to add to their lead. Oh, and they get the ball back in the beginning of the second.
9:14 p.m.: SACK! After a bright start to the Cardinal’s two-minute drill, McKee gets swarmed by a sea of Trojans. Looks like Nick Figueroa gets the final touch.
9:08 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Williams saw a hole begin to open up in the secondary. And he made the Cardinal pay. The Heisman hopeful audibles to a read option before handing off to Dye, who walks into the end zone untouched.
Five possessions, five touchdowns for the Trojans. This offense is electric.
35-14 USC
9:05 p.m.: Caleb Wiliams has looked every bit as good as advertised so far. Stanford’s defense just can’t handle him. He hits Addison on a screen play for 13 yards, Addison already over 100 receiving yards on the day.
USC’s offensive stars are coming to play early.
9:04 p.m.: It appears EJ Smith is headed to the locker room. He’s had a real standout display so far, so Stanford’s coaching staff will be hoping for the best.
9:00 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Smith trots in from five yards away. That will punctuate an efficient drive for the Cardinal, who showed that they can move the ball down the field with relative ease against the Trojans.
If they can keep it within a few scores, you never know what could happen.
28-14 USC
8:58 p.m.: It’s been a weird day for Stanford, who have carved out huge chunks of yardage despite being comfortably down at the moment. McKee hit Michael Wilson for an 18-yard gain before grabbing 15 yards of his own by way of scramble. Looks like the Cardinal are surging.
8:54 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! The Williams-to-Williams connection proves effective once more, this time from 15 yards out. Caleb Williams is absolutely on fire so far.
28-7 USC
8:50 p.m.: Williams airs it out once more. This one was a bit underthrown. But Mario Williams does well to find the ball before going down. That’s another huge gain: 43 yards in the blink of an eye.
8:46 p.m.: Williams and the Trojans create a little more space between themselves and their own end zone. After a pass interference and a pair of 10-yard Dye runs, the ball is on USC’s 40.
8:43 p.m.: FUMBLE! For the second time today, the Cardinal throw away a golden chance on the goal line! Smith did some great work early, selling an inside run before making his way outside his tackles. However, Williams crunches him with a huge hit, sending the ball to the turf. Williams then shows the presence of mind to find the ball, giving the Trojans yet another goal line stop.
8:40 p.m.: McKee puts the ball on a rope for Tremayne, who is able to outmuscle Blackmon to put the Cardinal on the brink of another touchdown.
8:39 p.m.: McKee slings a 15-yarder to Yurosek. Stanford is right outside the red zone.
8:37 p.m.: Smith gashes USC’s front seven open once again to lead off the second quarter. The Cardinal are in USC territory.
End of first quarter: USC 21, Stanford 7
8:34 p.m.: Don’t let the scoreboard fool you; Stanford has been able to move the ball today. Case in point: McKee dots a pass right into Elijah Higgins grasp for 23 yards before the end of the first.
8:30 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Whatever you can do, I can do better! Williams shows off the arm strength, firing an absolute rocket right into the path of Addison. The Pittsburgh transfer keeps his composure and spins away from a would-be tackler to take it in the end zone.
That’s a 75-yard touchdown pass. What a response from the Trojans!
21-7 USC
8:26 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! McKee finds Smith, who is able to walk into the end zone from three yards away to get Stanford on the board.
14-7 USC
8:25 p.m.: And that’s what happens when you make mistakes like that. The very next play, Benjamin Yurosek busts it open on a short pass. It’s a 50-yard gain and in the blink of an eye, Stanford is on the brink of a score.
8:24 p.m.: McKee airs it out looking for Tremayne. Although the ball sails over Tremayne’s hands, Blackmon is called for a pass interference. That will bring the ball to Stanford’s 44.
8:22 p.m.: Smith with another decent scamper. He has a very respectable 61 yards on eight carries so far.
8:17 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Trojans put another six on the board, this time courtesy of a combination between Williams and reigning Biletnikoff winner Jordan Addison. USC’s pass game can’t be denied so far; Williams is 5-of-6 with 67 yards through the air. Oh, and he’s got the two touchdowns.
14-0 USC
8:15 p.m.: Another impressive throw by Williams, who finds a wide open Brenden Rice with the flick of the wrist. It seems like the sons of Pro Football Hall of Famers are feeling themselves early. First, it was Emmitt Smith’s son. Now, Jerry Rice’s.
8:13 p.m.: USC hoping to take advantage of another Cardinal turnover. Lincoln Riley’s squad certainly trending in the right direction so far, with Williams making a pair of zipped passes before scampering over the first down marker for another first down. Solid stuff by the Oklahoma transfer early.
8:10 p.m.: INTERCEPTION! McKee was looking for the fade, but Mekhi Blackmon was having none of it. Deflects the pass up then picks it off! Carries it to the 15 before going down!
That’s the Trojans fifth interception off a deflection this season. It’s been two games!
8:08 p.m.: Offsides puts the ball on the two-yard line and it looks like Shaw is going for it again! Another gutsy call from the Cardinal!
8:07 p.m.: Looks like Stanford will kick a field goal after a pass from McKee is batted away.
8:04 p.m.: The Cardinal appeared to get on the board after an impressive snag from Brycen Tremayne. However, after a lengthy review, the officials rule that his heel just touched the sideline before getting down. It will be third and goal.
8:02 p.m.: Smith with another big play, this time out the flat. He reels in a ball from McKee and takes it to the three-yard line! Wonderful play from Smith.
8:00 p.m.: And it pays off! First down, Cardinal! The end zone is in sight.
7:59 p.m.: Big call by David Shaw here. He’s keeping the offense on the field on 4th and 1.
7:57 p.m.: Smith’s carries got Stanford into USC’s territory. And it seems the run game is proving effective early for the Cardinal. Casey Filikins getting the ball over the first down marker, pulling Stanford ever so closely to the red zone.
7:55 p.m.: After a pair of penalties, Smith shakes through a gap for an 18-yarder. Great start by Emmitt Smith’s son.
7:52 p.m.: After a shaky first possession, the Cardinal are finding much more success this time around. EJ Smith starts things off with a 15-yard gain on the his second carry of the day.
7:50 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Relatively easy trip for USC. Williams and Travis Dye combined got the Trojans to the doorstep of the end zone with a trio of positive plays. And Williams finishes it off in style, finding Lake McRee from five yards out. That’s exactly what you want in a hostile environment if your the Trojans.
7-0 USC
7:45 p.m.: INTERCEPTION! Wonderful start for USC’s defense, with defensive back Max Williams plucking Tanner McKee’s pass and taking it 32 yards to Stanford’s 33. Great chance for Caleb Williams and company early.
7:40 p.m.: The ball is kicked off and away we go!
What channel is USC vs. Stanford on tonight?
- TV channel: ABC
- Live stream: ESPN app, ESPN+, fuboTV
Saturday’s game will be broadcast nationally on ABC. Rece Davis will call the play-by-play action. He’ll be joined by color commentator Kirk Herbstreit and sideline reporter Holly Rowe.
Cord-cutters can watch the action with the ESPN App and ESPN+, as well as with fuboTV, which offers a free trial.
USC vs. Stanford start time
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 10
- Kickoff time: 7:30 p.m. ET
USC vs. Stanford is slated to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, Calif.
USC vs. Stanford odds
- Spread: USC -8.5
- Over/under: 67
- Moneyline: USC -333 I Stanford +260
USC is an 8.5-point road favorite in Saturday’s matchup. The over/under stands at 67 points, per Caesars Sportsbook.
USC schedule 2022
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 3 | vs. Rice | W, 66-14 |
| Sept. 10 | at Stanford* | TBD |
| Sept. 17 | vs. Fresno State | TBD |
| Sept. 24 | at Oregon State* | TBD |
| Oct. 1 | vs. Arizona State* | TBD |
| Oct. 8 | vs. Washington State* | TBD |
| Oct. 15 | at No. 13 Utah* | TBD |
| Oct. 22 | Bye | N/A |
| Oct. 29 | at Arizona* | TBD |
| Nov. 5 | vs. California* | TBD |
| Nov. 11 (Friday) | vs. Colorado* | TBD |
| Nov. 19 | at UCLA* | TBD |
| Nov. 26 | vs. No. 8 Notre Dame | TBD |
* Pac-12 game
Stanford schedule 2022
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 3 | vs. Colgate | W, 41-10 |
| Sept. 10 | vs. No. 10 USC* | TBD |
| Sept. 17 | Bye | N/A |
| Sept. 24 | at Washington* | TBD |
| Oct. 1 | at Oregon* | TBD |
| Oct. 8 | vs. Oregon State* | TBD |
| Oct. 15 | at No. 8 Notre Dame | TBD |
| Oct. 22 | vs. Arizona State* | TBD |
| Oct. 29 | at UCLA* | TBD |
| Nov. 5 | vs. Washington State* | TBD |
| Nov. 12 | at No. 13 Utah* | TBD |
| Nov. 19 | at California* | TBD |
| Nov. 26 | vs. BYU | TBD |
* Pac-12 game